Lost but Found
by UsedToLoveHim
Summary: Twenty year old Bella Swan finds herself stranded and lost, only to be "rescued" by a reclusive, lonely vampire. The problem is that her savior doesn't want to let her go.
1. Cold and damp places

Lost But Found

_"If you don't get lost, there's a chance you may never be found"_ _-Author Unknown_

__**Chapter 1: Cold and damp places**

The first thing Bella saw when she opened her eyes were the trees. Tall, looming, dark figures, filtering the moonlight, casting shadows through the dark, lonely forest. They seemed to be looking down on her, wondering why she was laying on wet leaves, shivering in the middle of their vast expanse of forest. Bella wondered the same thing; how exactly had she allowed herself to end up in this situation? Alone, lost, and separated from the rest of her camping crew. She wondered just how exactly she had gone from looking for a waterfall, to lying on the cold, forest floor, praying to be found.

Well, she didn't wonder how it happened, because she knew. Angela had gone on and on about the beautiful waterfalls that made their home in these Washington trees, inspiring Bella to go find one on her own. She hadn't even wanted to go on this camping trip in the first place, the idea of huddling in a tent while it rained all weekend was not on her to do list. When she thought of camping, she imagined sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and signing songs. Out here, where the rain ceased to quit for long periods of time, it was nearly impossible to build a fire. But, two mornings ago, she still boarded the bus that would take her from her small home in Forks, Washington, to the middle of nowhere, in order to "enjoy" a weekend stuck in a tent.

When Bella had decided to go find one of these waterfall's, which Angela had spoke so highly of, a few of her friends had insisted they go along. Bella shook her head, wanting a peaceful walk to herself. She had started on a trail, but soon to took to following a creek, hoping it would lead to something. All it lead to, however, was a very lost Bella, in a very unfamiliar place. She tried not to panic. She even tried to remain calm when she realized she had left her cell phone behind. She walked in what seemed like circles for hours, before coming to the conclusion that she was screwed. When the sun started to set, she finally let herself freak out.

After another hour of sitting under a few branches, avoiding the rain in the now dark forest, Bella finally resigned to laying on the leaves, something she knew was probably stupid. She had remembered one of those survival shows, the host had mentioned something about body heat escaping through the ground. She was tired and cold, though, sleep seeming to be the only solution to her current issue. She wrapped herself tightly in her windbreaker then shut her eyes.

Now, she was awake, and even more aware of how screwed she was. All she had was her windbreaker, which was currently wet, the soaking sleeves sticking to her skin, creating a deep chill which sunk into her bones. Her teeth chattered, and she wondered how terrible it would be to die from hypothermia. Or even get hypothermia. She had read once that a person suffering from hypothermia should never sleep, considering they might not wake up. But she felt tired and afraid, and wanted nothing more then to curl up in a ball and close her eyes. Her body ached from the chill, and a breeze traveled through the trees bringing her shivering to a new level.

"This is it," she whispered, her breath carried away by the wind.

She wondered if her camping crew back at the site had sent out a search party yet. It had to be past midnight, and they must have been worried out of their minds. Once hypothermia set in, they wouldn't have much time to find her. She calculated that maybe she had a few hours before the chill in her body took over. Only a few more hours for her friends to find her, warm her up, and bring her back to civilization. Her eyes grew heavy, and she fought with all she had to remain awake, but they were so heavy, and she felt so weak. Her stomach growled and she realized how hungry she was, only adding to her list of complications. The issues she dealt with at home now seemed miniscule. She figured that maybe she could rest her eyes for a minute; maybe she wasn't hypothermic quite yet. Her eyes firmly shut, closing with no promises of opening and she had a thought that maybe sleeping wasn't such a good idea before the blackness took over.

* * *

Something cold and firm cradled her shivering body. She felt herself floating, gliding through the forest, seemingly weightless. She wondered where she was going, and why she wasn't on the ground anymore, but decided she wasn't in the mood to find out. She felt whatever cold object wrapped around her back shift slightly, her position changing. She didn't let her eyes open quite yet, for a feeling of dread took over. Dread over what she might find when she flicked her eyes open.

* * *

When her eyes did open, she found herself, dazed, lying in an unfamiliar bed, in what seemed to be a cabin. Her body was sore, and her muscles strained as she lifted herself up to examine her surroundings. Where was she? Was the floating sensation she felt someone rescuing her? Did her friends finally find her, curled up, soaked to the bone under the branches she had made her temporary shelter?

"I'm glad to see you're awake," a voice came from the doorway, where an unfamiliar man suddenly stood. She jumped in surprise, her muscles tensing suddenly, causing her to grimace.

This man, his voice like velvet, didn't appear to be like any man she had seen before. He looked like an angel, his features perfect and pale, his hair loosely tousled across his head. She wanted to run her fingers through it just to see if it was as soft as it looked. His most striking feature, however, was his eyes, which burned into her from across the room. They were an unsettling shade of gold though, something that warned her to keep away. She backed up a bit, the hairs standing up on the back of her neck.

He sensed her tense up, and lowered the intensity of his gaze.

"Wh-who are you?" she asked, with a raspy, dry whisper. She didn't recognize her own voice. She felt cold again, and pulled the wool blanket tighter around herself. His eyes flickered to the motion.

"Edward," he spoke simply. "I found you and brought you here. I won't hurt you." He seemed to speak more to himself on the last part, as if he doubted himself. Something was off about this man.

"Where is here?" she asked, fighting through the fear.

"My home. It's small, but I think you'll find it comfortable," he shrugged a bit. "We are still in the forest where I found you half-frozen, although it's about seven miles from where you were."

"Seven miles?" that was quite the distance for him to travel. "How did you find me?"

"I was out hunting when I caught your scent and followed it," his creepy, cat like eyes flicked back up to hers. "You're lucky I did, your body temperature was dangerously low,"

Hunting seemed like a perfectly logical explanation to Bella. Well, it would have been had he not mentioned he had _followed_ her scent, like an animal. Like a predator.

"Did you just say you followed my scent?" Bella's brow furrowed in confusion, hoping she had heard him wrong.

"Yeah. Your scent was a little masked by the rain, but I found you pretty easily," His mouth turned up at one corner at this, catching her off guard. She wasn't sure why he found this funny.

"People can't sniff each other out like animals, that's impossible," Bella said, her voice laced with disbelief. She was sure he was messing with her.

"Well, it is quite possible for me, Isabella. I'm not human."

**Reviews make me write faster! Chapter two will be here soonish...**

**~UsedToLoveHim**


	2. Vampire

__Lost but Found

_"Running away will never make you free." -Kenny Loggins_

__Chapter 2: Vampire

_Not human?_ Bella blinked at Edward, not entirely sure if here ears were working properly. _And how on earth did he know her name? _

"You're not human?" Her hands clutched the blanket a smidge tighter, waiting for his response. He moved into the room and sat in a chair new the bed. Bella slid away from him.

"No, and I haven't been for a little more than a century," he spoke with a light, natural tone, as if it was completely normal to be over one hundred years old and still look like a male model.

"Then what are you?"

"A vampire," his face remained stoic, giving no indication that he was joking.

Bella felt the blood drain from her face and her heart rate increased tenfold. His eyes, always flickering across her face, gauged her reaction. She felt trapped by his gaze

"Does that mean you're going to…" she let out a breath. "Kill me?"

"You're smart to be afraid of me, but no, I'm not going to kill you, Isabella, at least not on purpose. I haven't fed on a human in over ninety years, but it's still hard to resist sometimes,"

She didn't relax. She still knew nothing about this… vampire. She didn't know if she could trust him. And he had admitted he was still a danger to her, even though he didn't exactly _want _to kill her."

"What do you eat then?"

"I call myself a vegetarian," he smirked, as if she was missing out on some private joke. "I only feed on the blood of animals. It's not quite as satisfying, but it is enough to curb my cravings."

"Is that why you have a cabin out here? To hunt?" she tried to push away some of her fear, replacing it with curiousity.

"I don't just have a cabin out here, I live here. You're actually the first person I've spoken to in a long time," his eyes seemed a little distant, as if he wasn't entirely with her.

"You live here? All the time? Why?" Bella asked.

"Isn't it sort of obvious?" he gestured to himself. "I'm not like you, Isabella. I don't trust myself around people, I'm afraid I'll lose control and take an innocent life. I don't want to be a monster,"

"How do you know my name?" she changed the subject, trying to distract herself from the fear that was being to bubble up again, the chill that was crawling up her spine.

"I took your wallet from your jacket, when I changed your clothes,"

Bella felt her eyes widen, and she let out a gasp. It was then that she finally noticed she was no longer in her jeans and windbreaker, and instead she wore a soft t-shirt that was way too large for her small frame.

"You changed my clothes? While I was unconscious?" The blood rushed back to her face, embarrassed that he had seen her naked. She looked at his face, taking notice of the way his eyes darkened.

"They were soaking wet, and you were freezing. I had no choice. I promise I didn't look," his eyes followed the blush as it traveled up her face, into her cheeks.

The blood was so close to the surface of her skin, just one bite… He grabbed his hair, and his eyes turned coal black, focusing on her.

"Don't do that!" he growled.

"Do what?" she curled into a ball, wrapping the blanket around her as if it were able to protect her from him.

"Blush like that, it makes your scent so much stronger, so much more _tempting_…" his nostrils flared. He looked wild, ready to strike. At that moment Bella realized how screwed she was. This man, or vampire, or predator could kill her with the flick of his wrist, and she was lying in his bed, her chance of escape zero. She tensed waiting for whatever was to come. And then he was gone, no evidence of him save for the slight imprint he had left in his chair. She sat for a moment, her heart racing a million beats a minute, just listening to the now quiet cabin.

"Edward?" No response.

This could be it, her chance to leave. She wondered if he intended to keep her here, or let her go, after all he had told her. She was afraid of him, so afraid. But where would she go? She had no idea where she was, and she would just end up more lost than she had been before. There had to be a highway somewhere around there. She could find one, then hitchhike her way back to Forks. Edward was probably seconds away, though. She figured he was fast, and probably strong. And he could _smell_ her out, like an animal. He was a predator, designed to kill, and running was a very stupid idea. Still, this was her only shot.

Slowly, she crept out of the bed, afraid he was right around the corner, ready to pounce. Her heart beat in her ears, if he was near, he could probably hear it. _Crap_! Bella shouted in her head. She wasn't wearing pants, only the big t-shirt. She glanced around the room and her eyes landed on her jeans, folded neatly at the edge of the bed. She rushed over, pulling them over her legs, stumbling a bit in her hurry. Her shoes were underneath a chair, and she pulled them on, not bothering to look for her socks. She ran, taking quiet steps out of the room and into a large, living space. Her jacket hung on a coat rack, right by the door, which hung open, inviting her to leave.

Without any rational thoughts, she grabbed her jacket, and pushed through the door. It was chilly and damp, as usual, the forest unusually quiet, except for her own footsteps. Edward was nowhere in sight. She looked back at the cabin, only to find that it was actually a large house, huge, in fact. _Perhaps he had saved lots of money in his one hundred years of being a vampire, _she joked to herself while half-jogging into the forest.

Bella had been making her escape for about ten minutes, when she got the creeping sensation of being watched. The hair stood up on the back of her neck, and she scanned her surroundings, the panic rising. And there he was.

He leaned against a tree trunk, and she realized how inhumanly beautiful he really was. His pale skin contrasted brightly against the green forest. She froze in her tracks.

"You're leaving already?" he asked, his voice breaking through the quiet. His eyes were no longer black, just the catlike gold they had been before.

"At least stay for dinner, I can make you human food," he offered.

Bella couldn't speak. Her mouth was dry, unmovable.

"Please, Isabella. I have been alone for so long, just stay one night. I won't hurt you, I swear," he was almost pleading with her. "I have a car, I can drive you home tomorrow."

She didn't want to say yes. Her fear compelled her, though.

"Okay", she whispered.

Before she could change her mind, Edward picked her up and whisked her away, running impossibly fast back to his home. The feeling of dread in Bella's stomach told her that she wouldn't be going home in the morning.

**I don't know where the inspiration for this story came from. I couldn't sleep one night and just started writing. I don't think it will be very long, maybe 10-12 chapters. We'll see when the time comes. I hope you enjoy reading it!**

**Reviews make me happy! And, they make you happy, because they make me write faster. **

**-UsedToLoveHim**


	3. Fireplaces

Lost but Found

_"The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved." -Mother Teresa_

**Chapter 3: Fireplaces**

Bella sat still, her back stiff against a high back chair in Edward's impeccably modern kitchen. It was by far the nicest kitchen she'd ever seen, and he didn't even eat normal food. What was the point?

She stared out the window, towards the dark forest which was only steps away from his back door. Night had not fallen yet, but already the trees had turned into silhouettes. It was around this time yesterday that she had gotten lost. She'd been missing from her campsite for almost twenty-four hours. She thought of her friends; had they started a search party? Did someone inform her parents of her absence? Her mother must have been hysterical, she had probably already booked a flight. Charlie would be distressed as well, however, he would remain composed as best as he could. Her heart pinched with sadness and her stomach turned into knots. When would she see her parents again?

She overheard pots clanging in the kitchen, but she refused to look at Edward. A delicious, garlic aroma wafted towards her, but she didn't once turn her head. She simply stared, at the now shadowy forest, trying to forget the situation that she found herself in. She supposed it could have been worse; she could have died in the middle of that forest had Edward not found her. She imagined a search party stumbling across her cold body, tucked under a tree, and that caused a shiver to run down her spine. She still felt a tingle of fear inside her whenever she thought about his dark eyes, and his growling voice. She imagined that same search party stumbling across her body in the forest, but this time it was drained of blood. She winced at the thought, and pushed it out of her mind. He hadn't hurt her yet, he didn't plan on it, he had said. She tried to believe him. There was a part of him, however, a part that could be more dominant than she knew, that thirsted for her blood.

A plate with pasta was set down in front of her, along with a fork. She couldn't deny that it smelled amazing, and her stomach growled.

Edward sat down across from her, his hands clasped together in front of him. His knuckles were white. She made brief eye contact with him, startled yet again by the animal-like shade of his eyes. He nodded to the food, urging her to eat. She twirled her fork a couple of times, taking her time to wind the noodles.

Edward said nothing as he watched her eat. Obviously, he had not been around others for awhile, because he seemed to forget that staring made people uncomfortable, along with silences.

"I can build a fire if you'd like," he offered, once her fork clanked against the table. "We can sit in the living room, where it's more comfortable."

"That sounds fine," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

She followed him into the living room. There were a few leather couches, and a piano sat off to the side near a large window. She would never have known that his "cabin" was almost a mansion if she had never left the room where she had awoken in a few hours ago. It must have been a lonely place for a single, somewhat socially awkward vampire to live. He chose to isolate himself from the world though, so it was easy for her to assume that he didn't mind being by himself.

She sunk into a couch, crossing her legs, and watching Edward build a fire in the expensive-looking fireplace. He sat down on the adjacent couch once the flames had grown to an acceptable size.

"You have to tell me what you're thinking, I can't read your thoughts, and it is incredibly frustrating to hear nothing but silence," he said. She could feels his eyes burning into the side of her face.

"What?" she turned to him, her brows furrowed.

"On top of being a cold-blooded killer, I also can read minds. I haven't heard another mind in awhile, though, considering where I live."

"But you can't read mine?"

"No, and it is driving me insane. You're so hard to read, except for when your heart rate increases when you're afraid, or when your face flushes," he paused and looked into the fire, the flames dancing in his eyes. "So that's why you have to tell me what you're thinking."

Bella was disturbed by the fact that she had almost no reaction to his confession. Now that she knew he was a vampire, nothing could really surprise her.

She sighed.

"I'm thinking about my parents."

Instead of looking guilty for keeping her from them like she hoped he would, he just looked intrigued.

"Tell me about them."

So she talked, telling Edward about her parent's divorce, and her move to Phoenix, then back to Forks. She told him about her mother's free-spirited nature, her hovering concern, and her new baseball playing step-dad, Phil. She talked about Charlie: how she always cooked for him when she lived with him in high school, and his quiet, but over-protective attitude, which made her realize that he definitely was not composed right now. He was probably the one organizing a search, probably pacing through the house going crazy. A lump developed in her throat, but she kept talking, because her voice seemed to fascinate Edward. When she talked, he seemed to relax a little more, which allowed some of the tension to leave her body. Her fear slipped away as she told him stories about her childhood. He laughed at one in particular, the story about the time Renee had lost her in a toy store, and only after walking past her three times, did he notice her, hidden in a pile of stuffed animals. Her mother had thought she was a doll.

As the fire dwindled down, Bella felt her eyelids grow heavier, until she could no longer talk. Edward was still alert, still wanting to listen, and she wondered if he ever got tired.

"I don't sleep," he said, and she realized she had thought that aloud.

"So you must be tired all the time, then," she commented, already dozing off into a dream.

"You have no idea," he said in a whisper intended for himself.

She heard him, though, just before she slipped away into a dream where she was a little girl again, hiding in a pile of stuffed animals. Instead of her mom, it was Edward looking for her. He found her almost instantly.

* * *

As she awoke to the sun streaming through the windows, she remembered his cold arms carrying her from the couch and the dying fire, to the bedroom. Her muscles ached as she stretched her hands above her head. She rolled out of bed and padded to the living room, her feet cold against the hardwood.

Edward was sitting at the piano bench, his head in his hands and his elbows in the keys. He looked up as soon as he heard her approach, his striking face causing her to catch her breath. In the morning light, all the perfect angles of his face were highlighted, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of topaz.

"Good morning, Edward," her voice was raspy. "I'm ready to go home now."

She knew that just by suggesting going home, she might be taking a risk.  
"I've been alone for so long, Isabella," he said to her but to himself at the same time. "I've lived in these woods for almost five years, without ever coming across one person. I've lived for a century and I have never once met anyone, human or vampire, who I could even consider being with. I am so alone," he moaned.

He dropped his face back to his hands.

"I lied to you yesterday when I said I would bring you home," his voice was muffled by his hands. "I just wanted you to come back with me,"

Although she knew that this could happen, she still felt a rush of new fear course through her body, starting at her cold feet.

"Am I ever going to go home?" she sounded like a child.

"Maybe. I just want to… I just want someone to stay here with me. I won't hurt you, I swear, no matter how much your blood calls to me," he lifted his head once more and froze her in place with his stare. "I'll do whatever you want to make you comfortable. Just, please, don't run."

She opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out, just a squeak.

"If you try to escape, I'll find you. I will always find you, Isabella." He stood up, a once again threatening presence.

"Bella," she managed.

"What?" His posture softened.

"It's Bella… call me Bella," she said a bit more firmly.

"Bella," he repeated, "I-"

"Why me?" she interrupted, trying to hold back her tears. All she had wanted was to go on the camping trip with her college friends, then return home to finish the semester. Now… this.

"At first it was your scent that called to me. Now it's your company. You… fascinate me,"

"Oh." She didn't know how else to reply and tears were threatening to spill. "I'm going back to bed." She rushed out of the room before he could say anything more. He didn't follow.

She slammed the door when she got to the bedroom, slid down to the floor, and sobbed into her hands, wanting nothing more to be at home.

**Reviews make me write faster!**

**-UsedToLoveHim**


	4. Rules

**Lost But Found**

Chapter Playlist:

Vienna - The Fray

Lonely - The Middle East

The President- Snow Patrol

The Fighter - The Fray

**Chapter 4: Rules**

Bella was wrapped in a blanket, lying in the middle of the bed. She didn't want to move or think about the situation she was in. Her tears had stopped hours ago, but she still didn't want to leave the room and face him. Unfortunately, he made it impossible for her to avoid it.

"Bella?" his low, hypnotizing voice sounded concerned, but she wasn't convinced. If he really cared, he would have taken her home like he promised. She heard the doorknob jiggle until Edward realized that it was locked. He sighed loudly, and she could almost picture him leaning his head against the door.

"Do you really think a lock is going to keep me out?" There was a familiar edge to his voice, the same edge that had appeared the few times he was irritated. No, she didn't think a locked door would protect her; she _hoped_ it would. In her predicament, hope was the only thing she had, and she clung to it like a life preserver. She wasn't ready to drown yet. She heard an alarming crack and splintering wood as Edward twisted the knob right off the door then pushed it open without any real warning. Bella buried her head into a pillow, not wanting to see him.

"You've been in here for three hours now."

His voice punctuated the air and made her tense up immediately.

"You need to eat something, if you want to recover from almost freezing to death." He took a step closer to the bed, the floor letting out a squeak.

"I'm not hungry," she mumbled into the pillow. "Just leave me alone."

"I could hear your stomach growling from the living room. Come to the kitchen, I'll find you something to eat."

"I told you, I'm not hungry. Just…leave me alone!" Her stomach chose the most appropriate moment to growl. It was the first time she had raised her voice at him. She turned to him, her eyes blazing, then felt herself freeze as she realized she may have angered him. She didn't know what he was capable of, and she didn't ever want to find out. He seemed taken aback by her ferocity and his eyes widened for a fraction of a second, just barely enough for Bella to notice. His brows quickly drew together and his golden eyes hardened as he stepped closer to her. She tensed up with every slow, controlled step he took towards the bed. His steel arms reached out to her, pulling her out of the blanket and to him. She struggled the entire time, but her squirming and desperate punches were no match for his seemingly unlimited strength.

And then she was seated back at the kitchen table, looking out the same window into the forest, the sunlight now sprinkled through the trees. Her heart was still racing from her previous encounter and she willed her breath to slow down.

"Eat."

With little concern for the fragile plate, he slammed her late breakfast down onto the table in front of her, followed by a tall glass of orange juice that sloshed a few drops of liquid onto the table. The smell and taste of eggs had always made Bella nauseous and today was no exception. She feared how he would react though, if she told him that eggs were not her favorite. She took a bite, the fork scraping against the plate and Edward stood next to her, making sure she did as he had demanded. After taking a few more bites, he seemed satisfied with her appetite and strode gracefully into the living room.

She took a few drinks of the orange juice to wash down the taste of the eggs then shoveled a few more into her mouth. He would know if she tried to wash eggs down the sink or toss them in the trashcan. He would probably know everything that she tried to do.

"Bella?" he called to her from the other room, his voice considerably more relaxed. "Why don't you join me in here for a moment when you're done? I want to discuss a few things with you."

A few things? Was he going to let her leave? Did he have an epiphany and realize that she would never be happy here, taken away from her life? She could only hope.

She took her time finishing the orange juice and rinsing the dishes off in the sink. She could hear Edward pacing in the other room, anxious for her to finish. She didn't want to seem eager, though. He didn't deserve that sort of satisfaction.

When she finally made her way into the living room, he motioned for her to sit then did the same in the chair across from her.

The silence was almost painful as Edward stared at Bella in all of her discomfort. She looked at her fingernails, shook her leg up and down, she did anything she could to not look at Edward.

"So," he said, trying to get her attention. It worked, but not well enough for her to make eye contact. "Now that you're going to be staying with me, I figured I should establish a few rules,"

Rules? It was bad enough that he basically kidnapped her, and now he wanted her to follow _rules._ Bella bit her tongue to prevent herself from protesting. She knew that his reaction would not be one of happiness.

"You're to eat three meals a day, whenever you please, but you _must_ eat. You're not going to starve yourself to death, which I believe you were planning to do earlier today."

She didn't respond, only wondered if he could read her mind, and had lied about not being able to.

"You're not allowed to go out into the woods alone. If I recall, just a few days ago, you almost died while going for a hike. If you want to go out, just let me know," he paused as if he was coming up with another rule out of the blue. "Actually, if you need or want anything, let me know. I'll get you anything to make you as comfortable as possible,"

"Where are you going to get these things that I may want?" Bella figured there had to be a town somewhere around there. He said he had a car, but he also said she was the first human he had been in contact with in a long time. Where did he get the "human" food if he hadn't left these woods in years?

"There is a town about forty miles from here. Don't even think about trying to find it, the highway is nowhere near here. It takes an off-road vehicle and excellent navigation skills to find it. If you want something, I'll go and get it for you, but you're to stay here,"

"But you said you didn't trust yourself around humans," she spoke, her voice stronger, more doubtful.

"I went to get you food when I first found you, while you were sleeping. I overindulged on animal blood before leaving, though, to control the cravings," he paused and flicked his eyes to hers, as she was now looking at him with piqued interest. "It wasn't easy, but I had enough control to go into a grocery store and pick up some things."

"Do you think you'll ever be able to live among people?" She tried to picture Edward and his golden eyes living in an apartment in the middle of a city. He seemed too wild for the setting.

"I did for quite sometime until the day that I…" he struggled for the words. "fell of the wagon, so to speak,"

She didn't ask anything further, figuring this was not the time for this discussion. She didn't really want to hear anything else either.

His eyes grew distant for a moment before they returned to her.

"I have one more rule, Bella," he continued. "You are to try to make yourself happy here. I know that what I've done is terrible and you are going to hate me for a while. But just try and be happy, because I can't let you go. Make this house your home, it's far too large for a lonely soul like me to live in alone. Will you please try?"

She nodded slightly. She could try to be happy, but she would not make any promises. After another long pause, he spoke once more.

"So, is there anything you need?"

She thought hard for a moment. She needed to go home, to return to her life. She needed to speak to her parents, to curl up in her small room in Charlie's house. She wanted more than anything to run through the front door and never see Edward again. It was hopeless, though. He was never going to let her go.

So she thought of things that she really needed, at this moment. She felt her greasy hair plastered to her forehead and suddenly wanted nothing more than a hot shower. She needed to be clean, to face this situation freshly soaped.

"A shower, would be nice,"

His face lit up with a smile, something Bella had yet to see across his face. He _glowed_, and she found it odd he was so excited about a shower. Maybe he thought she was finally accepting her fate to spend the rest of her days here. She was, partly, but the other part of her would never stop asking to leave, no matter how much time she spent here, tucked away from the world.

He led her down the hallway to the bathroom, and quickly fetched her some fresh clothes, large men's sweatpants and a t-shirt that likely belonged to him. The next thing she needed to ask for was clothes, but that could wait for now.

She could hear him pacing down the hallway as she stripped down and turned the water to as hot as it would go. For the next hour, she sat on the shower floor, feeling the hot water beat down over her body. She stayed in that position for as long as she could, until Edward finally knocked at the door, taking away her much needed peace.

**If you haven't noticed, I designed a banner thing for this story, using my own photography... what do you think? It's kind of bland, but I really wanted to use original stuff. **

**So what did you think of the chapter? Reviews are like sunshine on a cloudy day!**

**-UTLH**


	5. Chapter 5

The water continued to beat on her head and roll over her body as she leaned against the cool, tiled shower wall. She let his knock grow a little bit more urgent before responding.

"Yes?"

His insistent door knocking seized at the sound of her voice.

"Are you all right in there?" he asked, curious as to why she had been in the shower for precisely one hour and twelve minutes.

"I'm fine."

Bella wanted to be short with him. It annoyed her that he couldn't even give her time alone. If he wanted to keep her locked up, he was going to have to figure out that she needed space. Otherwise she would never be happy. Even with space, she might never be happy living with him.

She heard the floor outside the bathroom creak, the sound almost masked by the now cold running water. She worried he would do something drastic, like break open the bathroom door and find her naked form curled up and leaning against the shower wall, avoiding him. But then she heard his footsteps fade as he walked away.

When she began to shiver from sitting in the cold stream of water, she faced the inevitable and exited the shower stall. She used the fluffy white towel Edward had handed her to dry off in the chilly bathroom. When her body was dry, she moved on to the tangled mess of wet waves on her head, which were going to take awhile to dry without the help of a hairdryer. She searched through the bathroom cabinets and was not surprised when she failed to find one. Maybe Edward would get her one if she asked. He had said he would do anything to make her comfortable, and if dry hair were what she wanted, he would make it happen. Hopefully.

Air-drying would do for the time being. Although her hair would dry frizzy and wild, she didn't really care quite much. She wasn't trying to make an impression on anyone, and apparently Edward found her decent looking enough to make her stay with him. She doubted having unmanageable hair would give him second thoughts.

When she dropped the towel and moved to put on clothes, she found her bra and underwear soaked from the water that had managed to escape the shower. She would have to go commando, or face the humiliation of water soaked clothes. The t-shirt was loose enough to cover the fact that her breasts were braless, but she still felt exposed. What if she got cold and it became really clear to Edward what she wasn't wearing? She berated herself for being so stupid about this whole situation. Why did it matter?

After pulling on the sweatpants and rolling them a few times, she stepped out of the bathroom and walked to the living room. Edward was facing the fireplace, his back to her, still as a statue. She shifted her weight nervously and the wood floors creaked. Edward turned his head to look at her, an unreadable expression across his face. He looked content, but detached.

"I'll need to get you some clothes that fit, I take it. Although," he paused, "I don't mind seeing you in my clothes."

She felt herself turn red as his eyes traveled up her body. An almost inaudible growl escaped his throat and he visibly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"I told you not to do that," he snapped.

"Do what?" she felt her heart rate increase.

"Blush like that! It makes me want to…"

In an instant, he was standing in front of her, his cold fingers trailing down her cheek to the base of her throat. His eyes were black. She whimpered out of fear of what he might do, but was frozen where she stood. His fingers rested on her pulse point, feeling every beat push the rushing blood through her veins.

And then he was standing by the fireplace again, facing away from her, his body tense. She heard him let out a shaky exhale and watched his shoulders slowly relax.

"I can hear your heart racing," he said.

She still felt a chill down her spine and she could feel herself shaking. She didn't know how long she could handle this; the constant fear for her life, his erratic mood swings. It would only be so much time before she completely lost it. He turned to her again; his eyes still dark but less menacing. He took a few slow measured steps towards her, paused to see how she reacted, then continued on his path to her. She was still tense, waiting for the attack that would not come. When he reached her, he reached his hand out to her face again, ignoring the way she flinched.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to scare you."

He cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her face to his so she had to look at him. His eyes were apologetic, a slight wrinkle between his brows. He was so close she could feel his cool breath blowing across her face. There was something oddly enticing about the smell of his breath, the aroma a mixture of sweet cologne and pine trees. She stopped herself from inhaling it, from being hypnotized by him. Her thoughts were foggy and she found it hard to comprehend anything with him so close.

"I don't want you to be afraid of me," he whispered. "You aren't in any danger anymore, I promise."

He was too much. His eyes, his smell, his voice, everything about him called to Bella. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to step a few inches closer, tilt her head slightly, and kiss him. The thought came out of nowhere, and it horrified her. Maybe he was trying to seduce her, to make her relax. He was mesmerizing, something he probably used to draw in his prey. It worked too well; she was as drawn to him as a moth to a flame.

She pulled her chin out of his hand and stepped back, clarity returning to her mind. She wasn't afraid anymore, just a little confused.

"Sorry," he said. If he could have blushed, he would have, judging by the way he was looking at the floor.

"I was just trying to calm you down," he said, his voice still a seductive purr. "It worked, you're heart isn't racing anymore."

She placed her hand over her heart and counted the beats…_1…2…3…4_… the perfect rate.

* * *

Edward was off somewhere in the house, leaving Bella alone in the living room, wrapped in a blanket near the fireplace. At least he allowed her some freedom, instead of locking her away in the bedroom. The living room wasn't too bad; the big bay windows that overlooked into the forest brought plenty of light in and the fireplace kept the large room surprisingly warm. It was certainly much grander than Charlie's living room, which consisted of a shabby reclining chair, an old square TV, a few empty beer cans, and a love seat. Scanning the room, her eyes caught sight of a bookshelf that must have contained hundreds of books. Feeling brave, she stepped off of the couch, still wrapped in the blanket, and ran her fingers across the spines, silently reading the titles. The shelf was organized by author's last name and she stopped in the B's at Bronte, hooking a finger on Wuthering Heights.

She sat back on the sofa and began flipping to the page numbers of her favorite parts. Her dog- eared copy at home was filled with sticky notes and slips of paper from all of the times she had started re-reading the novel. She read, and just for a moment, she was back in her bedroom at Charlie's, reading the same book, wrapped in her own little world. Reality had to interrupt, of course.

"I never really liked that book much. I find Heathcliff to be a bit melodramatic." Edward suddenly appeared in the room, taking a seat on the loveseat nearby. His eyes settled on hers, and a half smile appeared on his face, encouraging her to respond to his joke. She forced a picture day worthy smile in order to appease him and watched as his face lit up in response. Maybe if she convinced him that she was happy here, she might believe it too.

**I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I had life to deal with and whatnot. But I hope you enjoyed it!**

**~UsedToLoveHim**


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